Monday, February 20, 2017

Malaysia lodges protest against North Korea over Kim Jong-nam

Malaysia has
lodged a protest against the North Korean ambassador over accusations he
made about the investigation into the killing of Kim Jong Nam, the
half-brother of North Korea's leader.
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry summoned Ambassador Kang Chol on Monday.
The protest came in response to Kang's criticism of the Malaysian
authorities last Friday at the hospital where Kim Jong Nam's autopsy was
underway. Kim died on February 13th after being assaulted at the
airport in Kuala Lumpur.
Kang had unsuccessfully requested immediate handover of Kim Jong Nam's
body. He then suggested at a press conference that Malaysian authorities
have something to conceal with respect to the incident.
In a statement, Malaysia's foreign ministry said officials told Kang it
is the responsibility of the Malaysian government to conduct an
investigation to identify the cause of death.
It also said the government has been transparent and the investigation has been conducted in accordance with Malaysian law.
It rejected criticism made by Kang as baseless, adding that the
government takes very seriously any unfounded attempt to tarnish its
reputation.
The ministry said it has recalled its ambassador to North Korea for consultations.